The other day my husband sends me an email with a link to Nas’ new single, Daughter’s. He later follows up with this text: “I can’t stop thinking about this song. You gotta listen to it.”
As parents, we like to think that our kids can do no wrong. If and when they do, we often ask ourselves “where did I go wrong?” In Nas’ new single, “Daughter’s,” he admits to being a bad parent.
In the track Nas talks about poor choices his 17 year-old daughter, Destiny, makes. He also mentions her promiscuity in his lyrics,
“she planted a box of condoms on her dresser then she instagrammed it
at this point I realized I ain’t the strictest parent. I’m too loose, I’m too
cool with her.”
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| Nas and a young Destiny, courtesy of sohh.com |
After hearing this song, I am left thinking of my own style of parenting. I am told by some that I am a strict. But, I don’t care. I wouldn’t want Princess to go down the wrong path when she gets older. My hubby and I will do our best to prevent that from happening. But, the reality is that parenting isn’t easy. I’m sure there will be tough times. We all know that kids don’t come with manuals. But, we do the best we can. In Nas’ case, he became a father at a young age. While he admits to making wrong choices in life, he doesn’t want other men to make the same mistakes.
A girl’s father is the first male figure in her life, which sets the tone for the other men who come into her life. Women often end up with guys who are like their dads. If there’s no positive male influence in her life, she could end up looking for love in all the wrong places. I wouldn’t want the same for my daughter. Some people say you can’t plan to have kids, but I beg to differ. A situation like Nas and Destiny is one that I’ve always tried so hard to avoid. I’m grateful that I have a wonderful husband, who’s also a great father. Unfortunately, some females are so lucky.
Some may feel that Nas’ is putting is entire family on blast. But, I don’t see it that way at all. I give props to him for admitting fault. He’s speaking out to all men to be positive role models in the daughter’s lives. It’s obviously made an impact on my husband.
Having a great father-daughter relationship will likely lead to girls making better decisions in life. I’ve seen too many go down the wrong path because of the lack of a positive male figure in their lives. I almost became one of those girls. But, I’ll tell that story at a later time. The message I wish to deliver right now in this post is one to my daughter.
To my baby girl:
You have a great daddy, who loves you and will always be there for you.
I also hope that men listen to this song, and feel inspired to make better decision for the sake of their daughters.
As a mother of 3 girls (and 1 boy), it’s important to me to raise confident young women with morals and self-respect. A father’s role is of the utmost importance when it comes to a girls’ upbringing. He is their role model, a living example of how men should treat women. A father plays such an important role in young girls’ upbringings. I wish more men knew that. Sounds like you’ve got a great guy!
Heading over to listen to Nas’ song. (I used to love him back in the day. lol) Thanks so much for stopping by my place the other day. I’m just now getting around to blog visits. Hope you had a great weekend.
What a great post. I came over via SITS and I am so glad I did. I could not agree with what you said more. Having a good, strong father’s influence on a daughter is SO important.
http://www.thedoseofreality.com/2012/04/30/open-letter-to-jessica-simpson/
No worries Kristi! Thanks so much for stopping by. I’ve been a fan of Nas for years. So funny how life happens. You have kids, you’re working all the time, and it’s so hard to keep up with the music scene. That’s what happened with me. lol.
Thanks so much Doseofreality! I appreciate you stopping buy. I’ll be sure to return the favor.
This is such a great post; NAS is one of my favorite artists. It is also very important for moms of boys, to not be in a relationship with man that she would not want as her son. This is coming from a mom of boys…
Mrs. Delightful
http://www.ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com
I had a horrible (and still do) relationship with my dad.
I don’t know if I’m going to bloggy boot camp…I’m doing the Spring Fling. Are you going?
I’ve heard about the song. I’ll have to give it a listen. It’s so true that fathers have a huge role in the lives of their kids. That gravity of the role doesn’t change whether he is present or not. It’s certainly made evident,many times, in the choices the children make.
Thanks so much Mrs. Delightful. Also, thanks for stopping by. You are so right about moms of boys. I think it’s so important for men to serve as positive role models for their sons too. It takes great men to raise great men. But, not without a woman’s touch of course.
So sorry to hear that Blond Duck. I can truly relate. I’m not going to BBC, but I am going to Blogher. I’ve also signed up for the SitsGirls Webinar.
Fathers are so very important. Some peoples lives would be so much more different if they had a father or father figure who was there for them.
It’s not your usual club banger. But, it does hold your attention. I think the lyrics are what speak to me most.
You are definitely right.. Dads have a HUGE impact on their kids. Have you watched the movie “Courageous”? It’s a great movie for dads..
no I haven’t. Who’s in it? I’ll check it out. Thanks Viv!
This one.. I’m referring to this movie..
http://www.courageousthemovie.com/
Tearjerker! And they got another movie which I absolutely love.. Fireproof. This one’s for Married couples. Ahh, I love love their book too. They turned it into a novel (yeah the other way around, movie to novel)